Homo sapiens and Neanderthals lived in peace, say researchers

Share via

A reconstruction of how life in the Nahal Me’arot caves in Israel might have been lived in prehistoric timesAlamy

2 of 2

The Nahal Me’arot caves have become the latest Unesco World Heritage siteAlamy

James HiderMount Carmel

Last updated at 4:34PM, September 28 2012

In a region beset by endless war, the caves in the limestone crags of Mount Carmel, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, present a symbol of an unlikely peace that existed long before the current conflicts — even before civilisation itself.

Archaeologists working on the site of Nahal Me’arot, or the Stream Cave, believe that 80,000 years ago this may have been the only place in the world where Neanderthals and early humans lived side by side, possibly even interbreeding.

The findings, indicating that the two branches of the human race lived in relative harmony in a region where their modern relatives are